Post by Brian Mackay on Sept 2, 2006 8:26:04 GMT -5
City stunned by MacLeod’s injury-time strike - report by Iain Grant
Thurso 3, Inverness City 2 - Published: 01 September, 2006
An injury-time winner by Des MacLeod on Saturday inflicted a first MSIS North Caledonian League defeat on newcomers Inverness.
The visitors looked on course to win after recovering from conceding the opening goal to Scott Mackay Steven after 20 minutes.
Ahead 2-1 at the interval, they thereafter defended resolutely before Mark Nichol popped up with the equaliser 10 minutes from time. City were then firmly on the ropes and MacLeod went close several times before grabbing the clincher.
Inverness were missing a handful of players in action for their summer side Avoch in the Highland Amateur Cup final. The Vikings were also short of three regulars for the match played in Castletown because of maintenance work being carried out on Sir George’s Park in Thurso.
After a cautious start by both outfits, Thurso were inches away from establishing a sixth-minute lead. Lee MacDougall’s inswinging corner was met by a firm header from Stuart Sinclair which beat keeper Iain Young only to come back off the junction of the crossbar and the left upright. Another header from Sinclair from a follow-up corner went narrowly over.
Thurso keeper Asa Sinclair should have felt at home on the park where his County League side play, but his first meaningful action saw him spill a hanging cross from the left. The keeper did manage to retrieve his error by diving smartly to smother the ball to prevent Keith Mason netting.
Thurso were linking well and a sparky exchange after 16 minutes ended with Nigel Mackenzie’s lay-off inviting an angled drive from Gavin Bremner which skimmed the top of the bar.
Thurso forged ahead after Mackenzie’s cross was touched on by Alan Murray for Mackay Steven to net with a rasping shot from 12 yards.
Almost from the restart, Thurso committed the football equivalent of hara-kiri. In trying to prevent a ball going out for a throw-in near the halfway line, MacDougall slid in to send a wayward pass towards his own penalty box.
It fell into the stride of Mason, who was felled by the backtracking Kevin Miller. The centre-half was booked and Alan Geegan netted the spot-kick, although Sinclair came close to reaching it.
That prompted a bad spell for the home side, whose early poise and purpose evaporated. Mackenzie was fortunate after 27 minutes that his careless pass across the edge of his penalty box was not fatal. His blushes were saved when Mason’s hurried shot went wide.
Thurso were struggling to find any sort of rhythm and it was no real surprise when they fell behind on 37 minutes. Graham Stewart’s lofted cross found Geegan unmarked at the far edge of the six-yard box and he nodded the ball in off the inside of the left post.
Thurso’s frustration was reflected in the 38th-minute booking of Nichol for an off-the-ball clash with an opponent.
Murray had a chance to help steady the ship for his side six minutes from half-time when a glorious assist by Nichol put him in the clear. The striker ran through but Young proved equal to the task of blocking his shot.
Thurso resumed after the break with renewed vigour and were to dominate the half without causing Young to perform heroics. After 54 minutes, Nichol’s foraging down the right flank created a half-chance for Murray, who headed wide.
City were largely operating in their own half, though with wily operators such as Gavin Nicolson and Geegan, they always posed a threat on the break.
MacLeod proved a lively presence following his introduction on the hour mark. Within four minutes, he almost got on the end of a cutback from Bremner but was denied by a timely interception from Young.
City could have sealed victory on 73 minutes when Keith Mason was afforded the time and space to have a pop at goal after a corner had been half-cleared. His eight-yard shot flashed inches past the left post.
Young then saved a long-distance effort from Bremner.
The leveller arrived thanks to an inch-perfect diagonal pass from wide out on the right by Mackay Steven. It eluded two defenders and fell perfectly for Nichol, who clipped the ball past Young from eight yards.
Stuart Sinclair was putting in a power of work for his side, both in defence and launching attacks. Sinclair’s well-weighted pass to Nichol after 86 minutes led to the latter’s cross striking the top of the bar.
A minute earlier Mark Makhouli had pounced on a defensive mistake to release MacLeod, whose cutback across goal produced no takers.
Mackay Steven drove just over before a scare at the other end when an incisive run by Nicolson saw Mason’s shot blocked by Asa Sinclair.
City substitute Paul Beaton’s use of an elbow on MacLeod led to him joining his brother David in the book.
City threatened twice more and the home side were indebted to their keeper for pulling off two full-length saves in quick succession from low shots by Stewart.
Young then fully extended to push a Mac-Leod effort behind two minutes into injury time.
The resultant corner from Mackenzie was touched on to MacLeod, who swept the ball past Young from close in.
Before the end, referee Willie Sinclair had no option but to dismiss Paul Beaton after showing him a second yellow card for petulantly throwing the ball at an opponent.
City manager Steve Graham was frustrated by his side’s concession of late goals for the second week in a row.
“The result was really disappointing given the effort the boys put into the game,” he said. “We could have won the game late on with a couple of chances which produced really good saves from their keeper. Basic errors are costing us goals.”
Thurso manager Ross Sutherland said: “For the first 20 minutes, we played really well – we were bossing the game – but after we lost the equaliser we faded out of things for the remainder of the half. I thought we had the better of the second half, though we didn’t create very many chances.
“Fair play to the boys, though, for not sitting back after we equalised and settling for the draw. They pushed on and eventually got the winner.”
The manager has major problems for tomorrow’s home clash with Golspie. Both the Mackenzie brothers are missing, with Jamie still on holiday and Nigel playing in Martin Gunn’s testimonial match in Wick.
Kevin Miller is at the Scotland international, while Kevin Warner has returned for a spell offshore. Shaun Forbes has added to the injury list after damaging ligaments playing for Melvich on Saturday, while Paul McCallum faces a late fitness test on a groin strain.
Tomorrow’s game, which is again in Castletown, kicks off at 3pm.
Thurso: A. Sinclair, Steven, Miller, S. Sinclair, Bremner, Warner, Mackenzie, Mackay Steven, Nichol, Murray (Macleod 60), MacDougall (Makhouli 73). Sub not used: Green.
Inverness City: Young, MacLennan, D. Beaton, Graham, Mappleback, Munro (Fraser 67), Stewart, Miller (Pollard 93), Nicolson, Geegan, (P. Beaton 83), Mason.
Referee: W. Sinclair.
Thurso 3, Inverness City 2 - Published: 01 September, 2006
An injury-time winner by Des MacLeod on Saturday inflicted a first MSIS North Caledonian League defeat on newcomers Inverness.
The visitors looked on course to win after recovering from conceding the opening goal to Scott Mackay Steven after 20 minutes.
Ahead 2-1 at the interval, they thereafter defended resolutely before Mark Nichol popped up with the equaliser 10 minutes from time. City were then firmly on the ropes and MacLeod went close several times before grabbing the clincher.
Inverness were missing a handful of players in action for their summer side Avoch in the Highland Amateur Cup final. The Vikings were also short of three regulars for the match played in Castletown because of maintenance work being carried out on Sir George’s Park in Thurso.
After a cautious start by both outfits, Thurso were inches away from establishing a sixth-minute lead. Lee MacDougall’s inswinging corner was met by a firm header from Stuart Sinclair which beat keeper Iain Young only to come back off the junction of the crossbar and the left upright. Another header from Sinclair from a follow-up corner went narrowly over.
Thurso keeper Asa Sinclair should have felt at home on the park where his County League side play, but his first meaningful action saw him spill a hanging cross from the left. The keeper did manage to retrieve his error by diving smartly to smother the ball to prevent Keith Mason netting.
Thurso were linking well and a sparky exchange after 16 minutes ended with Nigel Mackenzie’s lay-off inviting an angled drive from Gavin Bremner which skimmed the top of the bar.
Thurso forged ahead after Mackenzie’s cross was touched on by Alan Murray for Mackay Steven to net with a rasping shot from 12 yards.
Almost from the restart, Thurso committed the football equivalent of hara-kiri. In trying to prevent a ball going out for a throw-in near the halfway line, MacDougall slid in to send a wayward pass towards his own penalty box.
It fell into the stride of Mason, who was felled by the backtracking Kevin Miller. The centre-half was booked and Alan Geegan netted the spot-kick, although Sinclair came close to reaching it.
That prompted a bad spell for the home side, whose early poise and purpose evaporated. Mackenzie was fortunate after 27 minutes that his careless pass across the edge of his penalty box was not fatal. His blushes were saved when Mason’s hurried shot went wide.
Thurso were struggling to find any sort of rhythm and it was no real surprise when they fell behind on 37 minutes. Graham Stewart’s lofted cross found Geegan unmarked at the far edge of the six-yard box and he nodded the ball in off the inside of the left post.
Thurso’s frustration was reflected in the 38th-minute booking of Nichol for an off-the-ball clash with an opponent.
Murray had a chance to help steady the ship for his side six minutes from half-time when a glorious assist by Nichol put him in the clear. The striker ran through but Young proved equal to the task of blocking his shot.
Thurso resumed after the break with renewed vigour and were to dominate the half without causing Young to perform heroics. After 54 minutes, Nichol’s foraging down the right flank created a half-chance for Murray, who headed wide.
City were largely operating in their own half, though with wily operators such as Gavin Nicolson and Geegan, they always posed a threat on the break.
MacLeod proved a lively presence following his introduction on the hour mark. Within four minutes, he almost got on the end of a cutback from Bremner but was denied by a timely interception from Young.
City could have sealed victory on 73 minutes when Keith Mason was afforded the time and space to have a pop at goal after a corner had been half-cleared. His eight-yard shot flashed inches past the left post.
Young then saved a long-distance effort from Bremner.
The leveller arrived thanks to an inch-perfect diagonal pass from wide out on the right by Mackay Steven. It eluded two defenders and fell perfectly for Nichol, who clipped the ball past Young from eight yards.
Stuart Sinclair was putting in a power of work for his side, both in defence and launching attacks. Sinclair’s well-weighted pass to Nichol after 86 minutes led to the latter’s cross striking the top of the bar.
A minute earlier Mark Makhouli had pounced on a defensive mistake to release MacLeod, whose cutback across goal produced no takers.
Mackay Steven drove just over before a scare at the other end when an incisive run by Nicolson saw Mason’s shot blocked by Asa Sinclair.
City substitute Paul Beaton’s use of an elbow on MacLeod led to him joining his brother David in the book.
City threatened twice more and the home side were indebted to their keeper for pulling off two full-length saves in quick succession from low shots by Stewart.
Young then fully extended to push a Mac-Leod effort behind two minutes into injury time.
The resultant corner from Mackenzie was touched on to MacLeod, who swept the ball past Young from close in.
Before the end, referee Willie Sinclair had no option but to dismiss Paul Beaton after showing him a second yellow card for petulantly throwing the ball at an opponent.
City manager Steve Graham was frustrated by his side’s concession of late goals for the second week in a row.
“The result was really disappointing given the effort the boys put into the game,” he said. “We could have won the game late on with a couple of chances which produced really good saves from their keeper. Basic errors are costing us goals.”
Thurso manager Ross Sutherland said: “For the first 20 minutes, we played really well – we were bossing the game – but after we lost the equaliser we faded out of things for the remainder of the half. I thought we had the better of the second half, though we didn’t create very many chances.
“Fair play to the boys, though, for not sitting back after we equalised and settling for the draw. They pushed on and eventually got the winner.”
The manager has major problems for tomorrow’s home clash with Golspie. Both the Mackenzie brothers are missing, with Jamie still on holiday and Nigel playing in Martin Gunn’s testimonial match in Wick.
Kevin Miller is at the Scotland international, while Kevin Warner has returned for a spell offshore. Shaun Forbes has added to the injury list after damaging ligaments playing for Melvich on Saturday, while Paul McCallum faces a late fitness test on a groin strain.
Tomorrow’s game, which is again in Castletown, kicks off at 3pm.
Thurso: A. Sinclair, Steven, Miller, S. Sinclair, Bremner, Warner, Mackenzie, Mackay Steven, Nichol, Murray (Macleod 60), MacDougall (Makhouli 73). Sub not used: Green.
Inverness City: Young, MacLennan, D. Beaton, Graham, Mappleback, Munro (Fraser 67), Stewart, Miller (Pollard 93), Nicolson, Geegan, (P. Beaton 83), Mason.
Referee: W. Sinclair.